Third-party data is data purchased from data aggregators, which are typically not the original data collectors. The data is typically acquired from many different sources and repackaged in one data set. Examples of third-party data providers include Acxiom, Experian, Nielsen, and StatSocial.
Example: Brand X pays a data aggregator for data about homeowners who live in the Northeast. The aggregator provides data on purchase behavior, credit scores, and lifestyle. Brand X uses this data to push highly targeted marketing campaigns.
Third-party data is sometimes perceived as risky because the quality of the various combined data sources varies and many variables are inferred (not based on actual behavioral or transactional data).
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